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Nam Hai Rewards Area Scholars

Jun. 8, 2016

HOI AN, Vietnam — There’s nothing quite like going 10 for 10. So this year, on the verge of its 10th anniversary in December, The Nam Hai is sending 10 underprivileged teenagers to college.

The venture builds on initiatives developed by its groundbreaking charity fund, Sympathetic Hearts, which has provided university education aid to 50 area youngsters living in hardship since launching in 2009.

"This program aligns with what we as a resort are always striving for — growth and improvement," said Anthony Gill, The Nam Hai's general manager. "It's a life changer."

The process for selecting the next batch of beneficiaries begins in July, when high school graduates in Quang Nam Province take an enrollment test devised by the Ministry of Education.

Sympathetic Hearts administrators and local education officials — including the vice chairman of Dien Ban People’s Committee — will then evaluate the results, meet with students’ families and choose their freshman class of 2017.

The 10 picked will be notified of their achievement in November.

“Education is a major component of Sympathetic Hearts,” said Tran Thi Canh, the organization’s executive assistant manager. “Investing in education is investing in the future, because it can help bring better lives to the next generation.”

All 50 students who have so far earned scholarships have either graduated or are on pace to graduate from universities in Danang, Hue or Ho Chi Minh City. Three graduates now work at The Nam Hai.

Gill said the program’s success can be attributed to the students’ work ethics, Canh’s dedication and the support the universities provide each scholarship recipient throughout the school year.

“It’s a team effort,” said Gill. “And it’s a long-term proposition. We want these students to perform well each and every year, so they get their degree.”

Since opening on the shores of the East Sea in December 2006, The Nam Hai has become synonymous with excellence through its accumulation of international awards.

Indeed, the all-villa resort has been hailed multiple times by the world’s leading authorities on travel, including Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines.

Key features of the 35-hectare property include a spa that commands a tranquil space where eight treatment rooms appear to float like lotus flowers atop a koi fish lagoon; three beachfront swimming pools; and an organic herb and vegetable garden where Executive Chef Richard Wilson grows and picks many of the ingredients that go into his culinary creations.